U.S. patent number 6,029,562 [Application Number 08/909,356] was granted by the patent office on 2000-02-29 for modular beverage brewing system with interlocking assembly.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Hamilton Beach & Proctor Silex, Inc., Kevin O'Donnell. Invention is credited to Ivan Sintchak.
United States Patent |
6,029,562 |
Sintchak |
February 29, 2000 |
Modular beverage brewing system with interlocking assembly
Abstract
A modular beverage brewing apparatus includes a frame having at
least a first pair of inwardly directed flanges. A joiner plate is
connected to the frame. The joiner plate and the pair of inwardly
directed flanges define a first channel and a second channel
therebetween so that the modular brewing apparatus is selectively
engageable with a pair of inwardly directed flanges of a companion
modular unit. An electrical connection is made between the modular
beverage brewing apparatus and the companion modular unit. The
electrical connection includes a first electrical power connection
comprising an electrical output receptacle on the modular beverage
brewing apparatus coupled to an electrical input receptacle on the
companion modular unit for delivering electrical power from the
modular brewing apparatus to the companion modular unit.
Inventors: |
Sintchak; Ivan (Orinda,
CA) |
Assignee: |
O'Donnell; Kevin (Oakland,
VA)
Hamilton Beach & Proctor Silex, Inc. (Glen Allen,
VA)
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Family
ID: |
27071037 |
Appl.
No.: |
08/909,356 |
Filed: |
August 11, 1997 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
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748792 |
Nov 14, 1996 |
5916351 |
|
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555982 |
Nov 13, 1995 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
99/275; 220/4.02;
312/257.1; 99/284; 99/304; 99/316 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47J
31/4403 (20130101); A47J 31/4428 (20130101); A47J
31/4439 (20130101); A47J 2201/00 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47J
31/44 (20060101); A47J 031/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;99/279,275,284,286,287,288,289R,290,291,292,295,32R,304,316
;312/257.1,228 ;220/4.02,4.01,4.03 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Alexander; Reginald L.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Darby & Darby
Parent Case Text
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No.
08/748,792 filed on Nov. 14, 1996, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,916,351, the
disclosure of which is hereby fully incorporated by reference,
which is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 08/555,982, filed on Nov.
13, 1995, now abandoned, the disclosure of which is hereby fully
incorporated by reference.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A modular beverage brewing apparatus comprising:
a frame having at least a first pair of inwardly directed
flanges;
a joiner plate connected to said frame, said joiner plate and said
pair of inwardly directed flanges defining a first channel and a
second channel therebetween so that said modular brewing apparatus
is selectively engageable with a pair of inwardly directed flanges
of a companion modular unit;
an electrical connection between said modular beverage brewing
apparatus and said companion modular unit, said electrical
connection comprises a first electrical power connection comprising
an electrical output receptacle on said modular beverage brewing
apparatus coupled to an electrical input receptacle on said
companion modular unit for delivering electrical power from said
modular brewing apparatus to said companion modular unit.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said electrical
connection further comprises an incoming electrical power
connection connected to an electrical input receptacle on said
modular beverage brewing apparatus for receiving electrical power
from an external source.
3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said electrical
input receptacle on said modular beverage brewing apparatus is a
female receptacle and said electrical output receptacle on said
modular beverage brewing apparatus is a male receptacle.
4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said electrical
input receptacle on said companion modular unit is a female
receptacle.
5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said electrical
power connection is effected by an electrical cord.
6. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said incoming
electrical power connection is effected by an electrical cord.
7. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said electrical
power connection is effected by an electrical cord, said cord
having a first end mating with said male receptacle and a second
end mating with said female receptacle.
8. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said frame includes
a second pair of inwardly directed flanges so that said modular
brewing apparatus is selectively engageable with a first channel
and a second channel of a second companion modular unit.
9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said first pair of
inwardly directed flanges are disposed at an upper portion of said
frame, said second pair of inwardly directed flanges are disposed
at a lower portion of said frame.
10. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said joiner plate
includes a upwardly directed flange that is selectively engageable
with said companion modular unit.
11. The apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a riser
plate being selectively connectable to said frame.
12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said frame
includes a third pair of inwardly directed vertical flanges, said
riser plate being selectively connectable to said third pair of
inwardly directed vertical flanges.
13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said third pair of
inwardly directed vertical flanges each include an indented
shoulder to receive a corresponding pair of vertical flanges of
said riser plate.
14. The apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a riser
plate being selectively connectable to said frame and said second
companion modular unit.
15. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said modular
beverage brewing apparatus is a modular riser unit, and said
companion modular unit is a base unit.
16. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said modular
beverage brewing apparatus is a modular tower unit, and said
companion modular unit is a base unit.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a beverage brewing apparatus, in
general, and to a modular brewing apparatus having an interlocking
modular assembly that enables the brewing apparatus to be simply
and easily configured to maximize the adaptability of the brewing
apparatus for the needs of the manufacturer, the distributor and
end user, in particular.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Many forms of beverage brewing apparatus are in common use in
commercial as well as consumer settings. The popularity of the
beverage brewing apparatus is due to its ability to make a freshly
brewed beverage directly from brewing materials, such as coffee
grounds, tea leaves and the like. The consuming public greatly
prefers the quality of such freshly brewed beverages over instant
beverages made from dehydrated concentrates.
Beverage brewers of varying degrees of complexity are available on
the market. Some beverage brewers are designed for direct
connection to an external plumbing system to prepare and deliver
hot water without the user having to fill a reservoir. Other
brewers, frequently referred to as "pour-over" brewers require the
user to pour unheated water into a receptacle for subsequent
heating. The internal operating mechanisms of these brewers are
similar and, typically, include a water heating tank, heating
coils, and suitable controls for energizing the heating coils to
heat the water and de-activating the coils when the correct water
temperature has been obtained. An internal plumbing system delivers
cold water to the tank for heating and delivers hot water from the
tank for beverage brewing.
Because of the widespread use of such beverage brewing apparatus,
it is desirable to provide an apparatus which can accommodate a
variety of space limitations, site locations and market conditions.
For example, if a brewer is used by a restaurant, it would be
beneficial for the user to be able to adapt the brewing apparatus
to a variety of space limitations so that the brewer may be located
in various locations at the option of the user. When the needs of a
user change, it is often desirable that the brewing apparatus be
modifiable to fulfill those needs. However, this modification is
not easily accomplished with currently available devices.
Furthermore, the requirements of the user may change due to new
developments in the industry or due to new preferences of the
beverage consumers. It is desirable that the existing brewing
apparatus be changed to accommodate the new preferences in order to
avoid the obsolesce of existing units as the industry changes.
Again, because of the construction of existing equipment, this
change is not easily accomplished and may even be impossible in
some cases.
With the state of the art devices, a manufacturer of beverage
brewing apparatus is required to produce a large number of machine
styles and configurations. Consequently, a large number of
fixed-configuration machines must be maintained in inventory to
accommodate a variety of settings.
For example, in settings where additional warming units or storage
units for beverage vessels are desired, a variety of side units may
be required to adapt the brewer apparatus to the specific setting.
For example, the warming or storage units can be disposed on each
side of a central brewer unit or, conversely, on the right or left
side of the brewing unit.
Another consideration is the quality of the beverage brewed and the
tidiness of the brewing process, if the brewed beverage must travel
a significant distance before entering a vessel, the beverage has a
longer time for reacting with the surrounding atmosphere. This
reaction may lower the quality of the beverage. In addition, the
greater the distance between the brewing funnel or brewing cone and
the vessel, the greater the chance that the beverage will spatter
or splash. This often results in an unkempt appearance of the area
surrounding the brewing apparatus as well as posing a danger to the
user. In view of the large variety of shapes and sizes of vessels
available and being used in commercial practice, these problems
frequently occur. In most cases, the commercial brewing apparatus
user has a brewing apparatus which is impossible to adjust or
modify to accommodate a variety of vessels. Alternatively, the user
must maintain an inventory of many different units to accommodate
the needs of each setting and each size vessel. Such an inventory
can be quite expensive.
Clearly, the user (as well as the manufacturer and/or distributor)
would prefer to maintain a smaller inventory of brewing devices
which are easily modified to meet the various needs. Minimizing the
number of parts among various models of brewing apparatus would
reduce the expense and complexity of the manufacturing process, the
parts inventories and the overall production costs. Minimizing the
number of different parts, along with providing a brewing apparatus
that is easily modifiable to a desired configuration, also
simplifies field installation, field repair and field training.
Furthermore, a minimized parts requirement allows a field
representative to more easily, more completely, and more rapidly
respond to the changing needs of the commercial user with only a
minimum, if any, interruption in service.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a
modular beverage brewing apparatus which maximizes the adaptability
of the brewing apparatus and reduces the inventory of parts
required to satisfy the needs of the manufacturer, the distributor,
the servicer and the end user.
Another object of the present invention is to reduce the number of
separate types or styles of beverage brewing apparatus required to
be manufactured to meet customer requirements.
Another object of the present invention is to allow the
modification of the beverage brewing apparatus to function with a
multiplicity of beverage delivery vessels.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a beverage
brewing apparatus having a standard interface between all towers
and supporting units which allows the assembly of mass produced
components.
The invention comprises a modular beverage brewing apparatus in
which all of the electrical and mechanical components necessary for
an automatic brewing operation are contained in a modular tower
having a brew head mounted at the top of a support section. The
modular tower is mountable directly on a modular base element or,
alternatively, on supporting modular riser elements which are, in
turn, mounted on the modular base element. This arrangement allows
the brewer apparatus to accommodate a variety of beverage delivery
and/or storage vessels. Additional modules, such as warming
modules, grinding modules or the like, are also contemplated and
can be selectively combined with the basic brewer apparatus in
order to provide selectable brewer configurations to meet the
varying needs of the user.
The modules are joined together by an interlocking assembly in
which a pair of flanges at one surface of one module are engaged in
corresponding channels in another surface of another module. A
riser plate is removably attached to at least one side of the riser
module in order to secure adjacent modules in place.
The modules are electrically connected by external jumper cords
that are preferably disposed on a rear side of each of the modules.
The jumper cords provide an electrical power connection from an
electrical output receptacle on one module to an electrical input
receptacle of an adjacent module. The electrical output and
electrical input are preferably female and male receptacles that
are connected by an electrical jumper cord having mating female and
male ends, thereby ensuring that an electrical output is connected
to an electrical input.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The above and still further objects, features and advantages of the
present invention will become apparent upon consideration of the
following detailed description of a specific embodiment thereof,
especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings
wherein like reference numerals in the various figures are utilized
to designate like components, and wherein:
FIG. 1 is an oblique view of one embodiment of a modular beverage
brewing apparatus according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a rear elevation view of the modular beverage brewing
apparatus shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a plan view of adjustable brew cone rails on the
underside of a brew head to accommodate brew cones of varying
widths;
FIG. 4 is a partially exploded, perspective view of a modular riser
element according to the present invention illustrating the
assembly thereof;
FIG. 5 is an elevation view of the modular riser element shown in
FIG. 4 in interlocking relationship with other modules of the
apparatus;
FIG. 6 is an exemplary embodiment illustrating one possible
configuration of the modular brewing apparatus of the present
invention;
FIG. 7 is a rear elevation view of a modified embodiment of the
modular beverage brewing apparatus shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 8 is a rear elevation view of another embodiment of the
modular beverage brewing apparatus;
FIG. 9 is a side view of a base unit shown in FIG. 8;
FIG. 10 is a rear elevation view of another embodiment of the
modular beverage brewing apparatus;
FIG. 11 is a side view of the modular beverage brewing apparatus
shown in FIG. 10;
FIG. 12 is a plan view of an electrical cord that provides
electrical power to one of the modular units from an external
source; and
FIG. 13 is a plan view of an electrical cord having a male end and
a female end that can provide an electrical connection between
adjacent modular units.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown one embodiment of a
beverage brewing apparatus 100 of the present invention. The
apparatus includes a tower, which includes a support 12, having a
cantilevered head section 10 mounted thereon. The cantilevered head
section 10 and the support section 12 form a single modular tower
unit which contains all of the electrical and mechanical components
(not shown) necessary for an automatic brewing operation. These
components can include an internal plumbing system for delivering
cold water to the water heating tank and hot water from the tank
for beverage brewing, heating coils, controls for energizing the
heating coils and shutting off the coils when the correct water
temperature has been obtained and so forth. As is common practice
in the art of beverage brewing apparatus, the water heating tank is
regulated by a variety of controls, such as a thermostat, water
supply valve, timer and related electronic components, which
control the heating and dispensing of the water in a well-known
manner. Since numerous implementations of these electrical and
mechanical components and the operation thereof in beverage brewing
apparatus are well-known, further details of the internal
electrical and mechanical components of the tower unit need not be
described herein.
In the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1, the front panel of the
cantilevered head section 10 includes a power (ON/OFF) switch 14
for activating the unit, a brew switch 16 for starting the brewing
cycle and a ready-to-brew indicator 18. Typically, indicator 18 is
a light device. An optional faucet 20 can be included in head 10 to
provide hot water for various uses, for example, the preparation of
tea, cocoa or the like, separate from the brew cycle. It will be
recognized that additional controls may be incorporated in the
modular tower unit within the concept of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 2, an electrical power cord 22 extends from the
rear of the support section 12 of the tower for providing
electrical power to the beverage brewing apparatus. Any electrical
power required for the operation of additional modular units, such
as warming units, will, normally, be provided via the tower unit.
The bottom of the support section 12 is provided with openings
and/or connections (not shown) to allow electrical power to be
coupled to other modular units, such as base units 31, riser units
44 or warming units (see FIG. 6) which have corresponding interior
openings and/or electrical power connections.
For plumbed models, a water line 24 is provided in order to supply
water to the brewer for automatic brewing in a conventional manner.
The water line 24 is connected to the tower via conventional
fittings.
Alternatively (see FIG. 1), the cantilevered head section 10 may
include an opening 26 through the top thereof to receive cold water
to enable "pour-over" type operation in a conventional manner.
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, support section 12 is mounted on
a modular riser element 30 which is, in turn, mounted on a base
element 31. It must be understood that the tower can be mounted
directly on the base module. The support section 12 of the tower,
when mounted directly on the base element 31, is, typically, of a
height that positions the head to accommodate an industry standard
glass vessel. However, the modular riser element 30 raises the
tower and, thus, increases the height of the cantilevered head
section 10 of the tower relative to the base element 31. (As shown
in FIG. 1, a conventional drip base is illustrated. A heater base
is equally useful in another embodiment.) Use of the riser 31
permits the brewer apparatus to accommodate a tall vessel such as
an airpot 32 shown in phantom below a brewer cone 33. The brew cone
33 is slidably mounted on the underside of the head 10 by cone
rails 34.
The height of the head 10 above the top surface of the base element
31 may, thus, be selected by employing (or not) a riser elements
30. Of course, riser elements of various heights can be used in
order to position head section 10 at the desired height to
accommodate a specific beverage receiving vessel or brew cone.
Thus, the present invention envisions a tower of a unitary design
capable of being mated with a variety of riser units 30 and, as
well, a variety of base units 31 to provide a beverage brewing
apparatus having the particular characteristics required by the end
user at any time.
The present invention also envisions a variety of tower units for
accommodating a variety of brewing options. For example, the tower
unit may be designed to automatically provide the 64 oz. brewing
volume of the standard glass carafe or may be designed to provide a
greater or lesser volume depending on the requirements of the user.
Alternatively, the volume of heated water provided by the tower
unit may be selectable through internal or external settings of
tower unit.
In a tower having selectable brewing volume, it is advantageous
that the brew cone rails be adjustable to accommodate either a
standard (brew-through) or wide (bypass) brew cone.
Referring now to FIG. 3, there is shown the under side of the head
10 with adjustable brewing cone rails 34 mounted thereon. The rails
34 are mounted adjacent to a conventional water dispensing fitting
10A in head 10 which supplies water to the brew cone 33 (see FIG.
1). The rails 34 are slidably mounted on pin fasteners 36 which
extend downwardly from the underside of head 10. In particular,
each of the adjustable brew cone rails 34 includes a plurality of
parallel, diagonal slots 35 therethrough. The slots 35 are
configured such that the rails are adjustable between a wide cone
position as shown in solid outline, and a narrower cone position in
which the rails are positioned closer together, as shown in phantom
outline 34A. Thus, brew cones of different widths can be
accommodated in the same head.
Referring now to FIG. 4, there is shown an exploded view of one
embodiment of the modular, interlocking riser module 30 assembly of
the present invention. The riser module 30 includes riser plate 37,
a joiner plate 38 and a unitary frame 40 which, in a preferred
embodiment, can be formed from a single stainless steel plate.
As shown in FIG. 4, frame 40 provides three sides of the riser 30,
namely, left sidewall 42, rear sidewall 44 and right sidewall 46.
Frame 40 also provides inward-directed horizontal flanges 42A, 44A
and 46A at the base of sidewalls 42, 44 and 46, respectively.
Similarly, inward-directed, horizontal flanges 42B, 44B and 46B are
provided at the top of sidewalls 42, 44 and 46, respectively.
In a preferred embodiment, the forward ends of sidewalls 42 and 46
are also bent to provide inward-directed, vertical flanges 42C and
46C, respectively. The forward ends of sidewalls 42 and 46 are also
bent to provide indented shoulders 42D and 46D to allow the
sidewalls to smoothly mate with vertical flanges 50 and 52 on the
riser plate 37. The riser plate 37 can be selectively affixed to
the frame 40 at the front ends of sidewalls 42 and 46 to provide
the fourth side of the riser 30. Riser plate 37 includes a
downward-directed lip 54 which is adapted to be positioned over the
flanges 42C and 46C of the frame 40 when plate 37 is joined to the
frame. When the riser plate 37 is disposed on the unitary frame 40,
the side flanges 50 and 52 are disposed over and engage the
indented areas 42D and 46D of sidewall 42 and sidewall 46,
respectively.
Each of the vertical flanges 42C and 46C of the frame 40 includes
an aperture 60. The riser plate 37 includes corresponding apertures
62. Nuts 64 are affixed (e.g. welded) to the inner surface of the
unitary frame at the apertures 60 for receiving screws which pass
through apertures 62 and apertures 60 to secure the riser plate 37
in place as the front wall of the modular assembly 30.
The joiner plate 38 is disposed as the top surface of the modular
unit 30. The joiner plate 38 is affixed, for example, by spot
welding, to the inner portions of inward-directed upper flanges
42B, 44B and 46B of the walls 42, 44 and 46. Alternatively, joiner
plate 38 may be removably attached to the frame 40 by using screw
nut fasteners, self-tapping screws or the like, through apertures
in the joiner plate 38 and in the flanges 42B, 44B and 46B.
The outer edges 65 and 66 (i.e. outside of the spot welds or other
joiners) of the joiner plate 38 are parallel to provide channels 68
and 70, respectively. The channels 68 and 70 are adapted to receive
the inward-directed flanges 42A and 46A of another modular unit.
The modular unit may be a riser 30, a tower 12 or any other
suitably constructed modular unit.
The joiner plate 38 is also provided with an upward-directed flange
72 at the front, rear or both ends of plate 38. The flange 72 of
the joiner plate 38 is provided with apertures 74 which correspond
with apertures 76 in the front plate 37. Nuts 78 are affixed to the
inner surface of the flange 72 for receiving screws 80 (or other
fasteners) which pass through the apertures 76 in the riser plate
37 of one modular unit 30 and the apertures 74 in the flange 72 of
another modular unit 30 to secure the front plate 30 of the upper
modular unit to the joiner plate 38 of the lower modular unit.
The joiner plate 38 is also provided with one or more apertures 82
for receiving electrical connections and/or other connections from
a modular unit mounted on the joiner plate 38. For example, if a
tower is mounted on the modular riser unit 30 and one of the lower
modules or base modules requires electrical power for a warming
unit, connection to the base module may be made through the
apertures 82.
It can be seen that the design of the interlocking assembly
described relative to the riser unit 30 facilitates the
manufacturing and mass production of the several modular units.
Each modular unit includes an interlocking assembly of the type
described. Thus, the modular components may be easily, accurately
and predictably joined together by spot welding, riveting or by
screw fasteners.
It is noted that the flange 72 can be provided at the front or the
back of the modular unit. Modular units having the same orientation
may be used together. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, the
riser plate 37 of the module is at the back of the brewer unit.
This orientation places the visible screw connections at the rear
of the brewer unit to provide a smooth, clean appearance when
viewed from the front of the brewer unit.
Referring now to FIG. 5, there is shown a representation of an
assembly comprising a support base 100, a riser unit 30 and a tower
108 (or other similar modular component). As suggested, the modular
units can be assembled in any number of arrays. To assemble a group
of modular units one-on-top-of the other, the riser plate 37 of the
upper module 30 is removed from its usual position at the front (or
back) of the module 30 by removing the screws 80 and sliding the
riser plate 37 upward. This action releases the downward-directed
lip 54 (see FIG. 4) of the plate 37 from the flanges 42C and 46C of
the module frame 40. The upper module, e.g. a tower 108, is mounted
to the top of the riser modular unit 30 by sliding the inward
facing lower flanges 42A and 46A of the tower module 108 into the
channels 68 and 70 (formed between inward directed flanges 42B and
46B and the borders 65 and 66 of the joiner plate 38) of the
modular unit 30 until the tower (or upper) module is in position
directly over the lower module. The riser plate 37 of the upper
module is then replaced in the upper module by sliding the lip 54
downward over the flanges 42C and 46C of the upper module to
position the riser plate at the front (or rear) of the upper 42C
and 46C of the upper module to position the riser plate at the
front (or rear) of the upper module.
The riser plate 37 is then secured to both the upper and lower
modules. Specifically, the riser plate 37 is secured to the frame
of the upper module by screws 80 which pass through the apertures
62 in the riser plate, apertures 60 in the flanges 42C and 46C, and
nuts 64 affixed to the back of flanges 42C and 46C. The riser plate
37 is also secured to the flange 72 of the joiner plate 38 of the
lower module 30 by screws which pass through apertures 76 in the
riser plate, apertures 74 in flange 72, and nuts 78 affixed at the
back of the flange 72. Thus, an upper module 108 may be easily and
securely mounted on a lower module 30. All modules, including the
tower modules, may be joined in the foregoing manner.
In similar fashion, a lower module, e.g. a base 100, can be
attached to the riser module unit 30.
FIG. 6 illustrates one possible configuration of the modular
brewing apparatus of the present invention to demonstrate the
versatility of the brewing apparatus of the present invention. The
unitary base module 100 has three side-by-side sections 100A, 100B
and 100C. Section 1OOA is a standard base which is intended to
function merely as a support for a non-warmed vessel (such as an
airpot 102) under the brew cone 104. Sections 100B and 100C include
conventional warming units 106A and 106B. It is understood that
base 100 can consist of more (or fewer) sections or areas of
operation. Moreover, while generally not the typical construction,
the base 100 could comprise a plurality of separate base modules
joined together in any suitable fashion.
A tower module 108 is mounted on an appropriate riser module 110
which is, in turn, mounted on the base module 100 adjacent base
section 100A to provide a brewing station of appropriate height to
accommodate the airpot vessel 102.
A tower module 112 (similar to tower module 108) is mounted
directly on the center section 100B of base 100 to provide a
brewing station of appropriate height to accommodate a standard
glass vessel 114. In this case, the riser 110 is omitted.
A separate warming base 116 including a warming unit 116A is
mounted on riser module 118 (which can be similar to riser module
110). The riser module 118 is, in turn, mounted on section 100C of
base 100. This arrangement provides a raised warming station
adjacent to warming station 100C for glass vessels with a brewed
beverage therein. Each warming unit 106A, 106B and 116A has an
individual on/off control 120 and is supplied electrical power
through corresponding apertures (not shown) in the base units via
apertures in either of tower modules 108 or 112.
It is to be understood that tower 112, while shown as a beverage
dispensing tower, can also represent a coffee bean grinder (or any
other suitable accessory and/or attachment). In this attachment,
coffee beans are introduced into the top of the tower, passed
through a grinding mechanism, and retrieved in a suitable container
represented by the device 130.
As noted, any other suitable accessory can be mounted to the common
base 100, a riser 110 or any other component of the universal
brewing system described herein.
The modules 30 of the foregoing design are easily manufactured and
are suitable for large scale production. Furthermore, they provide
a strong modular structure. The ease of assembly/disassembly of the
overall system facilitates cleaning to promote a sanitized beverage
station. It can further be seen that the modular configurations of
the modular brewing apparatus are almost unlimited. A user or
distributor can easily assemble a large variety of modular units,
including modular units of different heights, to configure the
brewing apparatus system to accommodate almost any setting or
configuration.
Referring now to FIG. 7, a modified rear view of the modular
brewing apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1 is shown. Support section
12 of the modular power unit 10, 12, includes a female electrical
receptacle 150 and a male electrical receptacle 152. Female
receptacle 150 can be connected to a cord 154 (see FIG. 12) so that
power unit 10, 12 can receive electrical power from an external
source. Cord 154 has a first end 156 that is selectively connected
to the external source cord 154 has a second end 158 that is
selectively connected to female receptacle 150. Because the modular
beverage unit of FIG. 1 includes a base element 31 that receives an
airpot 32, no electrical connection needs to be made to the base.
In other words, the airpot does not need to be warmed by a warming
unit. However, if the base 31 includes a forward warming unit, a
modified base 31', as illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9, is utilized.
Base 31' includes a warming unit 160 for warming a standard glass
vessel 114. To provide electrical power to base 31' a second
electric cord 162 may be utilized. Cord 162 has a first end 164,
which is similar to end 158 of cord 154 and mates with female
receptacle 150 of base 31'. Second end 166 of cord 162 mates with
male receptacle 152 of the tower unit 10, 12. When cord 162 is
plugged into the tower unit 10, 12 and base 31', an electrical
connection is provided between the electrical output receptacle 152
on the tower unit and the electrical input receptacle 150 on the
base unit 31' so that electrical power can be delivered from the
tower unit 10, 12 to the base unit 31'.
An alternate embodiment of the modular beverage system is
illustrated in FIGS. 10 and 11. In this embodiment a warmer riser
30' is connected to a warmer base 31'. For example, such a modular
beverage unit can be connected side by side with the modular tower
unit illustrated in FIGS. 1 and/or FIG. 8. In accordance with this
embodiment, cord 154 connects power from an external source to the
female receptacle 150 of warmer riser 30'. Cord 162 provides
electrical power from the warmer riser 30' to the warmer base 31'
by electrically connecting female receptacle 152 on the warmer
riser 30' to the female receptacle 150 on the warmer base 31'.
Male and female receptacles can be used interchangeably as can
corresponding ends of the cords. Additionally, incoming electrical
power can be delivered to the unit from an external source through
a permanent connector rather than through an uncouplable connector.
Furthermore, an additional warmer can be hard wired or coupled
through connectors described herein to the top of a brew head.
While the preceding description has been directed to particular
embodiments of a modular brewing system, it is understood that
those skilled in the art may conceive modifications and/or
variations to the specific embodiments shown and described herein.
Any such modifications or variations which fall within the purview
of this description herein is intended to be illustrative only and
is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Rather the
scope of the invention described herein is limited only by the
claims appended hereto.
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